Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

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  • Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

    As I followed the games from the Canadian Open, I noticed that in the final round (9 of 9), all the games were drawn on the top boards of the Masters section. I may be wrong on this, but it seemed like the players were more concerned with protecting their earnings than playing for the win.

    Tournament chess players spend a great deal of time, energy, and their own money in the game. What motivates us? Is chess really all about the money? Is it about winning? Or is it for the love of the game?
    Last edited by David Fei; Wednesday, 19th July, 2017, 08:14 AM.

  • #2
    Re: Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

    The players have to survive and eat. I spoke to Aman Hambleton as I was leaving and he was being shuttled to the airport. For him the money from this tournament means that he can play in two or three more strong chess events and possibly get his last GM norm. The strong players are really suffering for their art. They see many of their peers dropping by the wayside and wonder if maybe it is time for them to do the same.

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    • #3
      Re: Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

      That's understandable for the titled players. Making a living out of chess is definitely possible but unless you are confident in your abilities (top umpteen in the world), it's almost like gambling if it's your only source of income. As someone from my club once said, "If I played for the money, I'd be broke."
      Last edited by David Fei; Wednesday, 19th July, 2017, 12:01 PM.

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      • #4
        Re: Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

        In Europe GMs often get an appearance fee & expenses so can cruise through with draws. In the US large sections of 2 rounds a day and one draw you're out of the prize money. It's rare to win over $1,000 in a Canadian tournament, then minus expenses. It's important for our IMs heading to Europe to learn how to cruise through by drawing GMs.

        This brings into question whether it is better to offer large prize funds or to offer an appearance fee & expenses? Which would bring in more GMs and IMs?

        And for lower sections, does big prizes bring in more players than lower entry and cheaper accommodation/food? Does seeing GMs play bring in regular players?

        And there are other factors, history of the event and organizer, time of year, competing events. . .

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        • #5
          Re: Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

          Originally posted by David Fei View Post
          As I followed the games from the Canadian Open, I noticed that in the final round (9 of 9), all the games were drawn on the top boards of the Masters section. I may be wrong on this, but it seemed like the players were more concerned with protecting their earnings than playing for the win.

          Tournament chess players spend a great deal of time, energy, and their own money in the game. What motivates us? Is chess really all about the money? Is it about winning? Or is it for the love of the game?
          Perhaps you should check the games more closely instead of just looking at the results. The first and second board games were played on for quite awhile - Razvan sacrificed a piece and started a huge attack against Vovk and meanwhile my game on board 2 was one of the last games to finish in the playing hall.

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          • #6
            Re: Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

            I watched the games from boards 1-3 in their entirety and also analyzed them on an engine. With the stakes being so great, it seemed like the players were less willing to take the same risks they may have hazarded in an earlier round. Every sacrifice needed to be calculated precisely. That's just my own opinion. Those draws may well have been hard-fought battles to the end, which only the players themselves can attest to. I sincerely apologize to you and anyone else I may have offended with my biased remarks.

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            • #7
              Re: Playing for the Money vs Playing for the Win

              Okay, maybe the Canadian Open was a bad example to use, but it reminded me of a tournament in Gatineau from a few years ago. After 4 rounds, two players were leading the tournament with 4 points, at least one point ahead of everyone else. When they played in the fifth round, they agreed to a draw after they reached the minimum 30 move requirement and ended up splitting first and second prize. In the final position, Black could have won immediately if he had seen that he was trapping White's rook with a simple pawn push. I won't disclose the names of these players, but they were obviously in it just for the money as their CFC tournament history reveals that they both stopped playing competitively shortly after.

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